Golden Eagles sweep Oak Harbor, advance to district semis

The Ferndale volleyball team built early leads in each set of its opening round Class 3A Northwest District Tournament match against Oak Harbor and came away with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 sweep Saturday, Nov. 1, at Shorewood High School.

The Golden Eagles, who entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed, went ahead either 6-0 or 7-0 in each set, which Ferndale coach Patti Hoelzle said was a a testament to her team not being intimidated by postseason play.

“I thought they came out really strong,” Hoelzle said in a phone interview. “They showed their intensity and ability to communicate was there, and that was good to see.”

Outside hitter Whitney Walker led the Golden Eagles with nine kills and four aces, and Taryn Potter chipped in eight kills to go along with her team-high 15 digs.

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“They were adjusting well,” Hoelzle said of both Walker and Potter. “Oak Harbor had a strong block, and they were doing a good job of seeing the court and playing against their defense.”

Hoelzle also credited setter Abby Reid for distributing the ball to the right players, and Reid herself tallied five kills with heads-up shots.

Ferndale will next play eighth-seeded Marysville-Pilchuck at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Shorewood High School. The winner of that game will advance to the district tournament title game and earn an automatic berth to the Class 3A State Tournament, which Hoelzle said has been the team’s goal since the beginning of the season.